The ranat ek (Thai: ระนาดเอก, pronounced [ranâːt ʔèːk], "also xylophone") is a Thai musical instrument in the percussion family that consists of 22 wooden bars suspended by cords over a boat-shaped trough resonator and struck by two mallets.

The hard mallets create the sharp and bright sound, normally used for faster playing.

The soft mallets create the mellow and softer tone, used for slower songs.

There is another similar Thai xylophone that has a different kind of wooden bar, called “ranat thum”.

After the instrument makers gained some experience and knowledge, the krap were made in a series of sizes with a track to hold them together making the tone clearer.

To make them into a series, a heavy string was threaded through holes made near the ends of the krap.

At first the keys of ranat were made of two kinds of bamboo, Dendrocalamus Nees (Dendrocalamus Nees; Thai: ไผ่ตง; phai tong), and Indian Timber Bamboo (Bambusa tulda; Thai: ไผ่บง; phai bong).